New surprises at Celebrate Milford this weekend

Wednesday

Celebrate Milford is the town’s biggest, single-day event – the arguably larger Portuguese Picnic in the summer is over two days – and brings in between 10,000 and 15,000 people.

MILFORD – Where can you meet Captain America and Wonder Woman, watch bartenders compete for a good cause, try homemade wine, and see a military helicopter?

This weekend’s Celebrate Milford will feature those and more, in the annual festival at Milford Town Park.

“It’s a one-day celebration of Milford pride, of the Milford community,” said Terenzio Volpicelli, a member of the organizing committee.

Organizers say Celebrate Milford is the town’s biggest single-day event – the arguably larger Portuguese Picnic in the summer is over two days – and attracts between 10,000 and 15,000 people, depending on the weather.

A committee of residents works with the Milford Area Chamber of Commerce to organize the event, and more than a dozen local businesses help finance it.

“We’ve had consistent sponsors,” committee member Joe Soares said.

Vendors come from as far as Maine, Donovan said, selling food, crafts, and other products.

“I have no idea how they hear about us,” she said with a laugh.

Celebrate Milford will be held Saturday from 10 a.m. to about 9 p.m., with Sunday reserved as the rain date. The day is packed with things to do and see, from actors roaming the grounds as movie characters to a beer garden to food trucks to live music.

“We try to get something for everybody,” Volpicelli said.

A youth parade kicks off the day at 10 a.m., with student sport teams and the marching band.

An all-day pass to the Kids Zone costs $5, and includes unlimited access to bouncy houses, an inflatable obstacle course, carnival games, and inflatable sumo wrestling.

A bartending tip challenge – the bartender with the most tips wins – funds a different local charity each year, and typically makes about $2,000. This year, the challenge will benefit the Milford Family and Community Network, which provides free early childhood programs to families in and around Milford.

“We try to pick an organization that’s in need, and obviously an organization that we feel is vital to the town,” Soares said.

Each year, organizers say, they try to add something new. This time around, they’re debuting a "Back to the Future" display, complete with a Delorean, and mannequins of Doc Brown and Marty McFly. Attendees can also check out the original Volkswagen bus from the movie – that’s the vehicle used by a pair of baddies to shoot at Doc Brown at the beginning and end of the film.

The National Guard will also land a helicopter in the park at some point during the day, organizers said.

This is the festival’s fourth year. Aside from the Kids Zone, admission is free.

“We want to make it affordable,” Donovan said. “We want to make it so everyone comes out.”

Donovan said she starts work for the event in November.

“There are thousands of hours in advance that go into this,” Volpicelli agreed.

Once the festival is over, Celebrate Milford gives back financially. The group reviews grant applications throughout the year, and donates to youth initiatives, public education, and community beautification.